“I never imagined that I would even be an entrepreneur. Granted, it’s my side hustle, but I never thought I would be doing something that I love so much,” Gadson says. “I owe it all to my BPS program.”
It is my pleasure to welcome everyone to the start of the fall term. Campus is bustling with faculty, students, and staff. There are also rumors of a person riding a horse on campus. The UNCG energy is wonderful to experience.
The College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) at UNC Greensboro is pleased to welcome Michael Watson ’11 as its new Senior Director of Development, effective August 25, 2025.
A proud Spartan and Greensboro native, Watson brings extensive experience in university advancement and a deep personal commitment to the transformative power of public higher education. He returns to the College after previously serving in the development office at UNCG’s Weatherspoon Art Museum.
The College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) at UNC Greensboro is pleased to welcome Dorian Thompson ’14 as its new Development Officer. A proud UNCG alumna and dedicated Spartan, Thompson holds a B.A. in media studies and brings nearly a decade of experience in fundraising, university advancement, and relationship building in higher education.
Crista McGee, a UNCG Interior Architecture alumna, designs animal habitats at the North Carolina Zoo, focusing on creating spaces that mimic the animals’ natural environments while engaging both the animals and visitors. She oversees exhibit design and maintenance, incorporating behavioral insights and naturalistic elements to enhance animal welfare and public education.
An alumna of UNCG’s master’s in communication studies, Dr. Zithobile “Zitty” Nxumalo ’11 is now the president of Guilford Education Alliance, a non-profit for public schools.
Tiffany Stephens ’24 is a U.S. Army veteran who lost her husband in 2012 while he was on a mission in Afghanistan and was left to raise their young daughter without him. Now, with her G.I. bill, Stephens has just completed her degree in classical studies – setting a shining example for their daughter, Rylee, now a teenager.
This Friday, May 3, Daniel Araya will join the Class of 2024 in UNC Greensboro’s commencement ceremony. Since his second year, the biology major has conducted biotechnology research in Dr. Ayalew Osena’s lab as a prestigious National Institute of Health (NIH) MARC fellow. His research has been actively supported by the Alice Ashton Bruton Endowment Fund and the MARC program.
On Friday, May 3, the UNC Greensboro class of 2024 will cross the commencement stage at the Greensboro Coliseum. Among this year’s graduates is English major Katherine Wyrick, a literature enthusiast with an exciting future.
Wyrick’s passion for literature and history will take her first to Florence, Italy — then Oxford, England — and finally, to a fully-funded master’s program in English at Wake Forest University.
Lorenzo Espada ’20 knew he wanted to be a chef since he was six years old: “I used to always watch cooking shows, while also learning from my mother and grandmother. Then I just started trial and error.”
That childhood aspiration has now become a reality with his first published cookbook, a massive social media following, and even an appearance on “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” Espada has found his way and come full circle, but one important stop on that journey was UNC Greensboro.